Plastic Bag Storage Assembly

ABSTRACT

A plastic bag storage assembly includes a box that has an entrance into the box thereby facilitating plastic bags to be inserted into the box. The box is pleated thereby facilitating the box to be positioned between an expanded position or a collapsed position. A lid is hingedly coupled to the box and the lid has opening extending through the lid thereby facilitating the plastic bags to be inserted through the opening. The lid is lowered onto the plurality of plastic bags contained in the box when the box is in the collapsed position such that the plastic bags in the box are constantly accessible through the opening. In this way the box facilitates a user to remove a plastic bag from the box regardless of how many plastic bags are stored in the box.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to plastic bag devices and more particularly pertains to a new plastic bag device for storing plastic bags. The device includes a box that has a pleated outer wall thereby facilitating the box to be collapsed or expanded. A plurality of plastic bags can be stored in the box for subsequent use. Additionally, a lid is hingedly coupled to the box with an opening to facilitate the plastic bags to be removed from the box through the opening. A lanyard is attached to the box and a clasp is attached to the lanyard for attaching the box to an article of clothing for transporting the box.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to plastic bag devices including a plurality of rectilinear boxes that have openings for dispensing plastic bags. The prior art discloses a plastic bag dispenser that includes a box and a sock extending downwardly from the box for dispensing plastic bags. The prior art discloses a plastic bag dispenser that comprises a puck with a dispensing slot for dispensing plastic bags. In no instance does the prior art discloses a plastic bag dispenser that comprises a box with a collapsible outer wall.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box that has an entrance into the box thereby facilitating plastic bags to be inserted into the box. The box is pleated thereby facilitating the box to be positioned between an expanded position or a collapsed position. A lid is hingedly coupled to the box and the lid has opening extending through the lid thereby facilitating the plastic bags to be inserted through the opening. The lid is lowered onto the plurality of plastic bags contained in the box when the box is in the collapsed position such that the plastic bags in the box are constantly accessible through the opening. In this way the box facilitates a user to remove a plastic bag from the box regardless of how many plastic bags are stored in the box.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a plastic bag storage assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a right side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 8 thereof, a new plastic bag device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 8 , the plastic bag storage assembly 10 generally comprises a box 12 that has an entrance 14 into the box 12 thereby facilitating plastic bags 16 to be inserted into the box 12. The plastic bags 16 may comprise plastic shopping bags that are being repurposed for a variety of uses. The box 12 is pleated thereby facilitating the box 12 to be positioned between an expanded position or a collapsed position. The box 12 has a top collar 18, a bottom wall 20 and an outer wall 22 extending between the top collar 18 and the bottom wall 20. The outer wall 22 has a top edge 24 and a bottom edge 26, and the outer wall 22 has a plurality of pleats 28 that are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the top edge 24 and the bottom edge 26. Furthermore, the pleats 28 are expanded having top edge 24 being moved away from the bottom edge 26 when the box 12 is urged into the expanded position. Conversely, the pleats 28 are collapsed upon each other having the top edge 24 being moved toward the bottom edge 26 when the box 12 is urged into the collapsed position.

The top collar 18 has a front side 30 and a back side 32, and the top collar 18 has a first lateral side 34 and a second lateral side 36 each extending between the front side 30 and the back side 32 such that the top collar 18 has a rectangular shape. Additionally, the top collar 18 has an upper edge 38 and a lower edge 40. The bottom wall 20 has an upper surface 42 and a perimeter edge 44, and the top edge 24 of the outer wall 22 is attached to the lower edge 40 of the top collar 18 such that the outer wall 22 extends around each of the front side 30, the back side 32, the first lateral side 34 and the second lateral side 36. The upper edge 38 of the top collar 18 defines the entrance 14 into the box 12 thereby facilitating the plastic bags 16 to be placed into the box 12. The bottom edge 26 of the outer wall 22 is attached to the upper surface 42 of the bottom wall 20 having the outer wall 22 extending around the perimeter edge 44 of the bottom wall 20.

The top collar 18 has a tab 46 extending away from the first lateral side 34 of the top collar 18 and the tab 46 has a hole 48 extending through the tab 46. The front side 30 of the top collar 18 has a recess 50 extending into a front surface 52 of the front side 30 and the recess 50 extends from the upper edge 38 of the top collar 18 toward the lower edge 40 of the top collar 18. The recess 50 has a bounding surface 54 and the bounding surface 54 has a lower side 56, a first sidelong side 58 and a second sidelong side 60. The recess 50 is elongated between the first sidelong side 58 and the second sidelong side 60, and the bounding surface 54 is rounded at an intersection between the lower side 56 and each of the first sidelong side 58 and the second sidelong side 60.

A lid 62 is hingedly coupled to the box 12 and the lid 62 has an opening 64 extending through the lid 62 thereby facilitating the plastic bags 16 to be inserted through the opening 64. The lid 62 is lowered onto the plurality of plastic bags 16 contained in the box 12 when the box 12 is in the collapsed position. In this way the plastic bags 16 in the box 12 are constantly accessible through the opening 64 to facilitate a user 65 to remove a plastic bag from the box 12 regardless of how many plastic bags 16 are stored in the box 12. The lid 62 has a topmost surface 66, a lowermost surface 68 and an exterior edge 70 extending between the topmost surface 66 and the lowermost surface 68.

The exterior edge 70 has a rear side 72 and a forward side 74, and the opening 64 extends through the topmost surface 66 and the lowermost surface 68. The opening 64 is centrally positioned on the lid 62, the opening 64 has a bounding edge 76 and the bounding edge 76 has a plurality of intersecting sides 78. The plurality of intersecting sides 78 intersecting each other at a plurality of rounded corners 80 and the opening 64 is elongated between the first lateral side 34 and the second lateral side 36 of the top collar 18 such that the opening 64 has a diamond shape. The rear side 72 is hingedly coupled to the upper edge 38 of the top collar 18 that is associated with the back side 32 of the top collar 18. The lowermost surface 68 of the lid 62 rests on the upper edge 38 of the top collar 18 when the lid 62 is positioned in the closed position.

A latch 82 is movably integrated into the recess 50 in the front side 30 of the top collar 18 and the latch 82 releasably engages the lid 62 when the lid 62 is in the closed position. The latch 82 includes a button 84 extending outwardly from the recess 50 such that the button 84 can be manipulated. The latch 82 includes a mechanism 86 that is integrated into the top collar 18 which releasably engages the lowermost surface 68 of the lid 62. The mechanism 86 may be biased to engage the lowermost surface 68 of the lid 62 for retaining the lid 62 in the closed position. Furthermore, the mechanism 86 may comprise an arm that engages a recess in the lowermost surface 68 of the lid 62, a magnet that magnetically engages a metal tab on the lowermost surface 68 or any other conceivable mechanism for retaining the lid 62 in a closed position.

A ring 88 extends through the hole 48 in the tab 46, a lanyard 90 is attached to the ring 88 and the lanyard 90 has a distal end 92 with respect to the ring 88. A clasp 94 is attached to the lanyard 90 and the clasp 94 has a closure 96 that is biased into a closed position. The closure 96 is urgeable into an open position thereby facilitating the clasp 94 to be engaged to a support object 98 for suspending the box 12 from the support object 98. The clasp 94 might be a lobster claw clasp or other type of releasable clasp.

In use, the lid 62 is opened, the box 12 is urged into the expanded position and the box 12 is filled with the plastic bags 16. The lid 62 is closed and each of the plastic bags 16 is drawn outwardly through the opening 64 in the lid 62 to employ the plastic bags 16. The box 12 is urged into varying degrees of collapsed position to ensure the lid 62 is positioned on top of the plastic bags 16 as the plastic bags 16 become depleted. In this way the plastic bags 16 are continuously accessible though the opening 64 in the lid 62 regardless of how many plastic bags 16 are stored in the box 12. Furthermore, the clasp 94 can be attached to an article of clothing for carrying the box 12 while walking a dog, for example, or for any other reason that plastic bags 16 might be needed. In this way the box 12 is easily portable thereby facilitating the plastic bags 16 to be accessible at any time and at any location.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

1. A plastic bag storage assembly for storing plastic bags for subsequent re-use, said assembly comprising: a box having an entrance into an interior space of said box thereby facilitating plastic bags to be inserted into said interior space of said box, said box being pleated thereby facilitating said box to be positioned between an expanded position or a collapsed position whereby a volume of said interior space of said box is adjustable; and a lid being hingedly coupled to said box, said lid having opening extending through said lid thereby facilitating the plastic bags to be inserted through said opening, said lid being lowered onto the plurality of plastic bags contained in said box when said box is in said collapsed position such that the plastic bags in said box are constantly accessible through said opening wherein said box is configured to facilitate a user to remove a plastic bag from said box regardless of how many plastic bags are stored in said box; wherein said box has a top collar, a bottom wall and an outer wall extending between said top collar and said bottom wall, said outer wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, said outer wall having a plurality of pleats being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said top edge and said bottom edge, said pleats being expanded having top edge being moved away from said bottom edge when said box is urged into said expanded position, said pleats being collapsed upon each other having said top edge being moved toward said bottom edge when said box is urged into said collapsed position; a tab coupled to and extending from said top collar, said tab having a hole extending through said tab; a ring extending through said hole in said tab; a lanyard being attached to said ring, said lanyard having a distal end with respect to said ring; and a clasp being attached to said lanyard, said clasp having a closure being biased into a closed position, said closure being urgeable into an open position thereby facilitating said clasp to be engaged to a support object for suspending said box from the support object.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said top collar has a front side and a back side, said top collar having a first lateral side and a second lateral side each extending between said front side and said back side such that said top collar has a rectangular shape, said top collar having an upper edge and a lower edge; bottom wall has an upper surface and a perimeter edge; said top edge of said outer wall is attached to said lower edge of said top collar such that said outer wall extends around each of said front side and said back side and said first lateral side and said second lateral side, said upper edge of said top collar defining said entrance into said box thereby facilitating the plastic bags to be placed into said box; and said bottom edge of said outer wall is attached to said upper surface of said bottom wall having said outer wall extending around said perimeter edge of said bottom wall.
 4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein: said tab extends away from said first lateral side of said top collar; and said front side of said top collar having a recess extending into a front surface of said front side, said recess extending from said upper edge of said top collar toward said lower edge of said top collar, said recess having a bounding surface, said bounding surface having a lower side, a first sidelong side and a second sidelong side, said recess being elongated between said first sidelong side and said second sidelong side, said bounding surface being rounded at an intersection between said lower side and each of said first sidelong side and said second sidelong side.
 5. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein: said lid has a topmost surface, a lowermost surface and an exterior edge extending between said topmost surface and said lowermost surface, said exterior surface having a rear side and a forward side, said opening extending through said topmost surface and said lowermost surface, said opening being centrally positioned on said lid; said opening has a bounding edge, said bounding edge having a plurality of intersecting sides, said plurality of intersecting sides intersecting each other at a plurality of rounded corners, said opening being elongated between said first lateral side and said second lateral side of said top collar such that said opening has a diamond shape; said rear side is hingedly coupled to said upper edge of said top collar being associated with said back side of said top collar, said lowermost surface of said lid resting on said upper edge of said top collar when said lid is positioned in said closed position.
 6. The assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a latch being movably integrated into said recess in said front side of said top collar, said latch releasably engaging said lid when said lid is in said closed position, said latch including a button extending outwardly from said recess wherein said button is configured to be manipulated, said latch including a mechanism being integrated into said top collar which releasably engages said lowermost surface of said lid.
 7. (canceled)
 8. A plastic bag storage assembly for storing plastic bags for subsequent re-use, said assembly comprising: a box having an entrance into an interior space of said box thereby facilitating plastic bags to be inserted into said interior space of said box, said box being pleated thereby facilitating said box to be positioned between an expanded position or a collapsed position whereby a volume of said interior space of said box is adjustable, said box having a top collar, a bottom wall and an outer wall extending between said top collar and said bottom wall, said outer wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, said outer wall having a plurality of pleats being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said top edge and said bottom edge, said pleats being expanded having top edge being moved away from said bottom edge when said box is urged into said expanded position, said pleats being collapsed upon each other having said top edge being moved toward said bottom edge when said box is urged into said collapsed position, said top collar having a front side and a back side, said top collar having a first lateral side and a second lateral side each extending between said front side and said back side such that said top collar has a rectangular shape, said top collar having an upper edge and a lower edge, bottom wall having an upper surface and a perimeter edge, said top edge of said outer wall being attached to said lower edge of said top collar such that said outer wall extends around each of said front side and said back side and said first lateral side and said second lateral side, said upper edge of said top collar defining said entrance into said box thereby facilitating the plastic bags to be placed into said box, said bottom edge of said outer wall being attached to said upper surface of said bottom wall having said outer wall extending around said perimeter edge of said bottom wall, said top collar having a tab extending away from said first lateral side of said top collar, said tab having a hole extending through said tab, said front side of said top collar having a recess extending into a front surface of said front side, said recess extending from said upper edge of said top collar toward said lower edge of said top collar, said recess having a bounding surface, said bounding surface having a lower side, a first sidelong side and a second sidelong side, said recess being elongated between said first sidelong side and said second sidelong side, said bounding surface being rounded at an intersection between said lower side and each of said first sidelong side and said second sidelong side; a lid being hingedly coupled to said box, said lid having opening extending through said lid thereby facilitating the plastic bags to be inserted through said opening, said lid being lowered onto the plurality of plastic bags contained in said box when said box is in said collapsed position such that the plastic bags in said box are constantly accessible through said opening wherein said box is configured to facilitate a user to remove a plastic bag from said box regardless of how many plastic bags are stored in said box, said lid having a topmost surface, a lowermost surface and an exterior edge extending between said topmost surface and said lowermost surface, said exterior surface having a rear side and a forward side, said opening extending through said topmost surface and said lowermost surface, said opening being centrally positioned on said lid, said opening having a bounding edge, said bounding edge having a plurality of intersecting sides, said plurality of intersecting sides intersecting each other at a plurality of rounded corners, said opening being elongated between said first lateral side and said second lateral side of said top collar such that said opening has a diamond shape, said rear side being hingedly coupled to said upper edge of said top collar being associated with said back side of said top collar, said lowermost surface of said lid resting on said upper edge of said top collar when said lid is positioned in said closed position; a latch being movably integrated into said recess in said front side of said top collar, said latch releasably engaging said lid when said lid is in said closed position, said latch including a button extending outwardly from said recess wherein said button is configured to be manipulated, said latch including a mechanism being integrated into said top collar which releasably engages said lowermost surface of said lid; a ring extending through said hole in said tab; a lanyard being attached to said ring, said lanyard having a distal end with respect to said ring; and a clasp being attached to said lanyard, said clasp having a closure being biased into a closed position, said closure being urgeable into an open position thereby facilitating said clasp to be engaged to a support object for suspending said box from the support object. 